


Emperor of Her Heart

by dietcokeenthusiast



Series: Her Teacher, Her Emperor [6]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Past Character Death, Reconciliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-31 03:29:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20108440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dietcokeenthusiast/pseuds/dietcokeenthusiast
Summary: Byleth's kept to herself the past few days after a difficult conversation with Edelgard. Now that it's time to talk again, long-held feelings come to the surface.





	Emperor of Her Heart

“It’s a small group. Nothing that should pose great difficulty to any of the strikeforce. Still, if they can create problems when we make our next move, they need to be dealt with.” Edelgard looked up, her expression determined. “Caspar, can I trust you to lead a team to wipe out that unit?”

“Leave it to me!” Caspar smiled, and saluted. “Who’s going with me? Think maybe teach can come along?”

Edelgard fought the urge to wince at the mention of her. Instead, she just shook her head. “The mission is yours, Caspar. Take whoever you need to complete it.”

“I do hope that our former teacher takes it upon herself to become more active,” Hubert added. “It is unbecoming of her to remain silent for the past two days of meetings.”

“Your feelings are noted, Hubert,” Edelgard replied, “but this isn’t an essential topic of discussion.” In truth, she knew Hubert had a point. It was unlike her to be so forgiving of Byleth’s silence. It would be a significant problem if it became more noticed among the others; it would make Edelgard appear weak. Still, every time she considered saying something, she could only think back to the words exchanged that night.

As she let herself get lost in these thoughts, she had barely noticed that Byleth had walked in to their former classroom, only truly taking note when she spoke. “Emperor.” Byleth bowed to her.

Edelgard held back a frown. The coldness and formality of Byleth’s greeting felt so very wrong. She nodded her head in return. “Professor. It is good to see you with us.”

“Sure is!” Caspar added. “I mean, you haven’t been saying much for the past couple days. More than usual. Everything all right?”

Byleth smiled slightly. “I’m fine. I was just wondering if I could speak with Her Majesty a moment.”

“Oh, uh, sure!” Caspar smiled, and headed for the exit. Hubert did not. He would remain there, an icy glare directed right at Byleth.

Byleth didn’t seem to notice. “A moment, if you don’t mind, Hubert?”

“And just what is this moment for?” He replied, crossing his arms. “Whatever regard Her Majesty holds you in, there are expectations of you here. So long as I stand beside her, I will not allow you to shirk your-”

“Hubert, I thank you for your loyalty.” Edelgard cut in. “Our professor and I do need to talk, though. I’d ask that we be given privacy to do so.”

Hubert paused, and looked between the two for just long enough for them both to become uncomfortable.. “Very well. Just know that I will not accept less than your utmost loyalty to the Emperor.” Giving one last look to Byleth, he left. Part of Edelgard wanted to sigh in relief, but she couldn’t. Not when the conversation she had been dreading was now imminent.

“I’m… sorry for keeping my distance.” Byleth began. “I’ve had a lot to think about.”

“I imagine so, professor,” Edelgard replied, her voice softening just slightly now that they were alone. “If you’ve reconsidered whether you will walk this path with us, I fully understand.”

Byleth shook her head. “No, Edelgard. What you’re doing needs to be done. The church needs to be stopped. Even just knowing Rhea… the way she treated me like a toy and how enraged she was when I refused to hurt you…” Byleth closed her eyes. “If she did that to me, and I was supposed to be a vessel for the goddess, how disposable must everyone else be?”

Edelgard wanted nothing more in that moment than to reach out and pull Byleth into another embrace. She loathed to encourage wallowing in one’s pain, but Byleth was doing anything but. She was moving forward, and Edelgard wanted more than anything to support her in that, the same way Byleth had been there for her so many times before. Yet, she restrained herself. “I’m sorry, professor. I didn’t consider how you were personally hurt by the church. I won’t question you again.”

“It’s okay,” Byleth replied, smiling. “Just know that I’m not leaving.”

Edelgard felt positively joyous to see that smile directed at her once again, returning it herself. ‘I thank you, my teacher. When you are with us, I feel there’s no limit to what we can accomplish.”

Byleth smiled a bit wider, but remained quiet. She was… fidgeting. It was slight, but Edelgard couldn’t help but take notice. Not when she was usually so stoic.

“Professor, is there something else on your mind?” Her mask was devoid of any cracks, but she could feel her heart beat faster as she asked the question.

“...Why didn’t you tell me about your plans before everything that happened?” Byleth had neither anger nor judgement in her voice as she asked, much to Edelgard’s surprise. “I understood your reasoning at first, but even after we came to know each other, you held back. Why? I think I know the answer, but… I want to hear it from you.”

To that, Edelgard had no hesitation in her answer. “I make no apologies for that. As much as I have come to admire and respect you, my teacher, officially, you were of the church. Even if I knew that you were sympathetic to my cause, and I believed that you might be, I could never risk any word of my plan getting out to the archbishop. Even unintentionally.”

Byleth nodded. “I understand. Going back to that day, with my father…” Byleth frowned. “After you left, I thought that if I knew and was in on your plans, I’d have been in a better position to stop it. Even now I still miss him so terribly. I’m not dwelling, if that’s what you’re worried about, but before I could really move on, I needed to understand why I couldn’t know. Why, mistake or not, things needed to be handled that way,” she closed her eyes. “So, thank you.”

Edelgard tried not to look too taken aback. “You understand?”

“I do.” Her gaze returned to Edelgard, her expression softened. “It took me some time, and part of me really wanted to stay angry, but I trust you Edelgard. More than anyone. I know that you never foresaw what was going to happen. I know that it was truly a mistake, and that you are sorry for it. Now I know for certain why you couldn’t tell me what was going on. And…” she smiled sadly. “Even if I knew, there was no guarantee I could save my father. The only certain thing would be the chance I could lose someone else important to me…” She stepped forward and placed her hand on Edelgard’s arm.

Edelgard knew right away it was futile to hide the blush that had come to her cheeks. Her heart somehow raced faster than it had before. Once again, when tried, Byleth had stood steadfast next to her. “Thank you professor… knowing that you believe in me and trust me the way you do warms my heart. I’ve never been so fortunate as to have such a dear friend as you, and I am eternally grateful.”

“Friend…” Byleth looked away, letting her hair fall in front of her face.

Edelgard’s heart sank. She didn’t know if she could stand another separation from Byleth. “Have I presumed too much, professor?”

“Not at all…” she replied softly, trailing off, still unable to look at her.

“Then what troubles you?” She fought to keep desperation out of her voice. “Please, tell me.”

Byleth’s pause was only a few moments, but felt like so very much longer. “Edelgard…” She finally turned to look her in the eyes. Her emerald eyes were wide and she was… blushing? Had she ever blushed like that before? “I don’t think I’ve properly told you just how remarkable you are, Edelgard.”

“P-professor?” Edelgard blinked.

“You’re strong, Edelgard,” Byleth began. “No matter how much you’ve suffered, you didn’t falter, or give in. You persisted through it, got stronger, and used that to push you to fight for a tomorrow where no one goes through that ever again. It would have been easier to do nothing, but that’s not who you are.” Byleth’s hand trailed down her arm, and took Edelgard’s hand, fingers lacing together. 

Edelgard couldn’t speak. All she could do was stare at how Byleth was holding her hand.

“To fight injustice, you stood against the world. You never wavered Even when you didn’t know who would stand with you. The bravery that must have taken…” Edelgard swore Byleth’s blush deepened. “Despite it all, no matter how easy it would have been to take power for power’s sake and become the tyrant that you’re accused of being, you didn’t. You never stopped putting the good of the world first. I could never doubt or stay furious with you. Not when I know the woman that you are. So... I’m honored to stand and fight beside someone as incredible as you.” Byleth broke into as warm and affectionate of a smile as Edelgard had ever seen, reaching up a hand to caress her cheek. “If I can be so shallow, your beauty is remarkable too.”

Outside of the heat of battle, Edelgard’s heart had never raced so quickly. She bit her lip slightly as she returned Byleth’s gaze, lost in emerald eyes. Ever a meticulous planner, considering all possible outcomes for her actions, she never could have anticipated this. Back at the academy, it was easy enough to dismiss it as a schoolgirl’s crush. One that, like her first love, would need to be discarded when she ascended the throne, so she could marry a nobleman to produce an heir and secure an alliance. It was the reality she had come to accept. Yet those feelings did not dissipate, persisting far longer than any mere infatuation should have. Then, just as she had hoped Byleth had returned to her, and after being terrified that she had ruined what hope she could have, she was here now. Holding her hand. Touching her cheek.

She still thought of her position as Emperor, but it was different than before. She was the Emperor, and an Emperor must act decisively.

She let go of Byleth’s hand, grabbed onto the collar of Byleth’s coat, and pulled her close, pressing her lips against hers. It was hardly as refined as might be expected from one of her station. Her only real experience had come from the occasional romance novel, after all. What she lacked in experience, however, she made up for in pure passion, holding Byleth tight against her as though she might disappear for another five years if she let go. Her body was flush against Byleth’s, and she hummed against her lips when she felt Byleth relax. It was incredible. It was euphoric. It was everything she had imagined and then some. She wanted to hold on tighter, still not satisfied, but the need for air won out. She loosened her grip on Byleth’s collar just enough to pull away slightly, but still keeping as close as possible. Her breathing was heavy, and she refused to look away from Byleth’s eyes. She considered whether to pull her in again, or say something, though she had no idea what. 

“I…”

Byleth chuckled softly, letting her hands rest on either of Edelgard’s hips. “Not bad. But let me demonstrate.” Byleth closed the distance between them, initiating the kiss this time. It was softer, more tender. She parted her lips ever so slightly to deepen the kiss, and Edelgard quickly picked up on it, following suit. She could feel warmth building in the bottom of her stomach as this kiss went on, feeling a jolt once Byleth introduced a hint of her tongue. Ederlgard finally let go of her collar, and off her gloves, and reached under her coat to rest her hands on Byleth’s back. She needed as much of Byleth as she could possibly get. She was once again breathless when she pulled back for air. 

“Five years…” she whispered. “More than five years I’ve dreamed of this…”

Byleth brushed a strand of hair that had come loose out of Edelgard’s face. “All that time?”

“Perhaps it was stupid of me. I knew I needed to be practical, and realistic. But…” Edelgard sighed. “I had suitors. So many of them, and I never entertained a single one. I told myself it was because the middle of a war was no time to be dealing with it, and it isn’t, but…” She rested her forehead against Byleth’s shoulder. “I knew you were out there. So, even if it was an impossible dream, I wanted to hold on until I saw you again. But it’s not a dream now.” Edelgard smiled, unable to recall the last time she felt so full of joy.

“I have to confess something,” Byleth said. “The moments of consciousness I had while I slept...I thought of you. Your strength, your drive, your grace. I’d like to think that it’s the reason I held on and woke up. When I heard that it had been five years, all I could think was that I had a promise to keep. Then I saw you there…”

“My teacher…” Edelgard squeezed her tighter, feeling like she could just melt at any moment. “You always made me feel that there was nothing I couldn’t accomplish. Your belief in kept me going in the worst nights, and through the worst of my self doubts. Now… now that we’re… together…” she said, treating the word as if it were the most precious and delicate of jewels, “there’s no telling what I’m capable of. What we’re capable of. With you at my side, I know we’ll build that better world.”

“We will, Edelgard,” Byleth replied, reaching a hand under her chin to tilt her head up and kiss her softly. It was far briefer than the two they had shared already, but tasted no less sweet on Edelgard’s lips. “Emperor of my heart…”

Edelgard tried and failed to stop herself from giggling at the corny line. “It’s strange to hear such honeyed words from you, pro-” she stopped herself. “Byleth…”

Byleth chuckled. “Sorry, Edelgard.”

Edelgard just smirked and pressed herself a bit closer. “I didn’t say I found it disagreeable.”

“I think I’ll stick with it then, Emperor of my heart.” 

Edelgard giggled again. She was feeling absolutely blissful. More than that, she felt like  _ herself _ ; the woman behind the crown and the title, laid bare before her beloved professor, and embraced with open arms. 

Still, she was not so far gone she didn’t allow one practical concern to enter her thoughts. “Byleth, you know I would never be ashamed of you, and that I’ve no problem breaking convention.” She sighed. “But for now, can this be kept between us? I want no distractions on our mission, and I do not want our enemies to know just how valuable you are.”

Byleth nodded, not seeming troubled at all. “I understand.” She could feel one of Byleth’s hands move to her pocket, seeming to fiddle with something. “Just between us, until this is all done.”

“Thank you,” Edelgard said with a smile. ”For now, though, our time is still ours. What would you wish?”

Byleth let her actions do the talking, pulling her in for another, deeper kiss.

_ Couldn’t have said it better myself... _


End file.
